Headwear can come in many forms including hats, caps, bucket style, visors, etc. Such headwear, including baseball caps, for example, may be classified as either fitted or adjustable. Fitted headwear is generally manufactured in a wide range of sizes, with each size having a fixed circumference to accommodate an individual with a corresponding head circumference. Adjustable headwear may incorporate an adjustment system that permits a single article of headwear to accommodate individuals with various head dimensions. Accordingly, a manufacturer can produce a line of adjustable headwear with significantly fewer sizes than a corresponding line of fitted headwear, since each adjustable headwear article can accommodate a range of sizes rather than a particular size. Although adjustable headwear is generally more complex to manufacture than fitted headwear, the manufacturing efficiency of producing relatively few sizes reduces the overall cost of adjustable headwear in comparison with fitted headwear. In addition, a retailer can carry a line with fewer articles of headwear, thereby realizing reduced handling and inventory costs.
A baseball cap having a conventional style of adjustment system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,772 to Hahn. A rear portion of the baseball cap includes a cutout area and two overlapping straps that extend into the cutout area. One of the straps includes a plurality of protrusions and the other strap includes a plurality of corresponding apertures. By snapping the protrusions into different apertures, the circumference of the baseball cap can be adjusted. A similar adjustment system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,148 to Satterfield, and incorporates portions of a hook and loop fastener that are located on opposite sides of a slit formed in the baseball cap.
A drawback to the baseball caps of Hahn and Satterfield relates to the aesthetic appearance of the adjustment system. The material forming the crown of fitted baseball caps extends entirely around the head. In contrast, the material forming the crown of the baseball caps of Hahn and Satterfield includes the cutout area and slit, respectively, which breaks the continuity of the crown. Accordingly, manufacturers often incorporate an adjustment system into baseball caps that provides the appearance of a fitted baseball cap. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,774 to Park; U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,540 to Cho; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,415 to Beckerman each disclose adjustable baseball caps that incorporate a stretchable material. U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,246 to Kronenberger discloses an adjustable baseball cap that incorporates an inflatable bladder located within material that forms the bottom of the crown to vary the effective diameter of a headband in the crown.
Problems associated with many prior art adjustable headwear include complex construction and excessively bulky sweatbands. It is an object of the present invention to provide an article of headwear that reduces or wholly overcomes some or all of the difficulties inherent in prior known devices. Particular objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that is, those who are knowledgeable or experienced in this field of technology, in view of the following disclosure of the invention and detailed description of certain preferred embodiments.